Illadelph New York

The Cheesesteak

The New York arrival of the cheesesteak is something many of us Philly kids greeted with reserve. First off, it’s a “cheesesteak” to us, not a “Philly cheesesteak.” Second, it’s putting the artery-clogging meal of choice inexperienced hands. It’s not that we mean to insult New York chefs, but let me ask this simple question: “Is the pizza outside of New York any good?” The key to any good cheesesteak is the roll – if the roll can’t hold up to the grease, then you’ve got a problem. Also, you only get three options: Cheez Whiz, American, or Provolone. Anything else is sacrilege. My order is always the same: a ’steak with provolone, fried onions, pepper, and ketchup. You got that, Manhattan?

Philly Dining In A New York Minute

Philly Invades Brooklyn

Statistics show that since 2001, almost 4,000 Philadelphians have relocated specifically to Brooklyn. Is this any kind of a freak occurrence? Not really. Brooklyn’s low-key vibe and urban chic is very reminiscent of the City of Brotherly Love. I know it’s why I moved here. Manhattan is cool, but Brooklyn’s laid-back quality just is way more appealing. Plus, the rent is still more or less cheaper on the other side of the bridges.

Tina Fey, Hire Me

Teena, c’muhn. We both do comedy. We both are in show business. You grew up in Upper Darby, I grew up in Fairmount. I’m not asking to be, like, the head writer on your show 30 Rock or anything. Just, like… um, uh… you want cream in that coffee, Ms. Fey? Hey, I’m from Philly, too. I’ve got this really awesome idea for a TV show. It’s about this writer from Philly who lives in Brooklyn…

Traitor In The Ranks: A Son's Decision To Root For The Mets

My dad loved the Philadelphia Phillies with all his heart and soul. He was there with my mom and my grandparents when they won their only World Series championship in 1980. Growing up, I shared the same love and I came of age during the franchise’s last great championship run in 1993. Since then, much has changed. They say that college should always be a time of experimentation, and man, did I go for gold: I opted to start rooting for the Mets. Unbeknownst to me, I started rooting for the Phils worst rival. But here’s the story: I hated the Yankees and wanted a New York team to get behind, the Mets made sense. They are the team of working-class underdogs, not unlike the Phils. It was weird to trade caps. But the way I see it, my dad had the Phillies, I have the Mets. I think he would have liked that I stuck to my choice on principle. Just don’t tell the rest of my family.

@#!& The Giants

The Giants won last season’s Super Bowl – whoop for them. Great, awesome; I still think they suck. Just as my dad was a diehard Phils fan, my grandfather (and family in general) are even bigger Philadelphia Eagles fans. As it happened, football is my sport of choice. If anyone thought for two seconds that I would walk away from The Birds (as overrated as they are), man is he cracked. Three simple facts: Dallas sucks. Giants suck. McNabb stay in the pocket. From September to December, my mind is only on two words: “Go Iggles!”

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